Blower housing and drive lubricating means



June 7, 1960 2,939,548

J. O. MCVICAR BLOWER HOUSING AND DRIVE LUBRICATING'MEANS Filed Oct. 17, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet fl INVENTOR. I c/&7/785(Q%JZZ7 BY June 1, 1960 J10. MCVICAR 2,939,548

BLOWER HOUSING AND DRIVE LUBRICATING MEANS Filed Oct. 17, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

June 7, 1960 J. o. M VICAR 2,939,548

BLOWER HOUSING AND DRIVE LUBRICATING MEANS Filed Oct. 1'7, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 zs'ummm 2520mm ma IN VEN T OR.

BLOWER HOUSING AND DRIVE LUBRICA'lING MEANS a 5 James 0. McVicar, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a 'corporation of Delaware I) d A Filed 0ct.17, 1958,,Ser. Nat/67,811

8 Claims; (c1. 1849-6 This invention relates .to a gear housingassembly and,

more particularly to an oil dam construction for such a gear housing defining anoil collecting trough capable of insuring a substantially constant gear tooth immersion level regardless of the quantity of oil normally supplied to such casing and the transverse and longitudinal inclination of the gear case from itsnorrnal operating position under normal operating conditions.

The inventionhas particular application to the drive gear housing of a blower for supplying charging and scavenging air to a two-cycle internalcombustion engine wherein the blower housing serves to provide drainage cover member which mates with the blower end plate of Figure 3.10 define a lubricant recei'vingitdrive gear housing compartment and the dam defined oil collecting} troughof the'invention; I v

Figure Sis a rear elevational viewof the engine of V Figure 1 showingtthe normal operatingposition forthe engine and blower and indicating the transverse roll of theengine' accommodated by theoil dam construction of the inyention; and; j

1 Figure" 6 is a vtran'sverse sectionalview of an inclined inline engine similar to that of Figures 1 and 3 and wherein the oil dam gear housing construction of the invention serves to maintain proper blower drive lubrication.

,Referring more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawings, an engine frame or block member. for a two-cycle,

internal combustion engine is indicatedgenerally at 10' and comprisesfa lower crankcase defining port-ion 12 and an upper portion 14 which defines the air box 16 and water jackets 18 which embrace one or more cylinder liner supporting bores 20. An engine-driven blower 21 is mounted on one side. of the upper portion of the frame and is adaptedtosupply, pressurized scavenging and charging air to the vblock-defined air box. A cylin:

der liner 22 isislidably mounted in each of the bores 20 and has a circumferential belt of inlet ports 24 intermediateit's ends which are alignable with arcuately. ex-

passages retuming' oil' from overhead valve actuating mechanisms including; a camshaft which may be journaled in eitherthe ,cylinder head or block. Hence-the invention asherein shown and described is shown as embodied in such an operational environment font'h'e purpose of illustration. However, the invention is not consideredflto be limited to this particular illustrative" embodiment, but rather to gear. housings generally; wherein the teeth of the several gears are IubricatedJby immersion and subsequent splash. 7

To meet the constant level oil dam requirements for blower drive gear housings, thev casting of the housing members inthe past has generally required sand coring of their respective mold assemblies to provide the trough defining oil dam and the necessary oil drain passages.- It. has also. been necessary .generally'to have different housing'designs to provide the different oil dam-requirements for various types of engine installations. These factors have greatly increased the'unit costs of such hou s ing members due to the necessary use of a multiplicity of different sand corings, the required multiplicity ofmold patterns and the resultant castings, the requiredw machining alternatives, and the necessarily added inven toxy costs.

"The invention contemplates an improved lighter gear housingassembly formed of relatively simple and inexpensive castings, preferably of the permanentmold] type, and having a single common oil dam design adapted to accommodate substantially all engine installations. a

I The foregoing objects, advantages and features of the invention will be better understood from the "following description, having reference to the several accompany ingdrawings wherein: I a

J Figure l is atransverse sectional view of a two cy'cle internal combustion engine showing the illustrative envii-onment of'a preferred'forrn of the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantiallyv on the line 2- -2 of Figure 1', with certain elements thereof tending ports 26 extending throughthe water jacketde fining portion of'the block to'the air box proper. A cylinder head 28 is mounted on the upper face of the cylinder block 1 0 and closes the upper end of the so]; eral liner defined cylinders. A piston 30 is reciprocabl'yl mounted in each of .the cylinder liners and cooperates with the closed end thereof to define an expansible com-p bustion chamber 32. a The piston is connected in a,con-,

ventional manner by a wrist pin 34 and aconnectirig rod 36 to the adjacent trough or pinof the engine crankshaft as. a

shown in elevation and with certain portions thereof broken away and in section-tor'nore clearly show the details of the construction; v I v Figure is an elevational view of a-blower end plate housing member including" an oil dam memberofthe inveption;

Figure 4"is "an elevational end iew 'of an endplate Reciprocation of the several pistons 30 within their respective cylinders serves to control the admission of scavenging and charging air to such cylinder-s with uniflow scavenging of the exhaust gases through exhaust,

valves 40. Theexhaust valves 40 are reciprocably mounted in the cylinder head and control the opening of ports leading to exhaust passages 42 which are in axially of each. of the several cylinders. The injectors 52 each have a fuel supply' n'ojz zle projecting centrally,

of the adjacent expansible combustion chamber 32 d and are adapted to supply the fuel charges to"the several cylinders in timejd sequence by actuation of a conventional valve or pump controlling plunger by suitable cam operated rocker arm type actuating mechanisms,

not shown. The camshaft 46 is mounted in a galley 54 which extends longitudinally of the engin'eblock. The cam-' shaft is journaled in bearing assemblies 56 Which are in turn supported by bosses 58 formed integrally of-the block; The bosses 58 are "spaced longitudinally ofth'e' camshaft galley 54 in flanking relationto" the valve and injector actuating cams for eachcylinder. The-bearings- 56 and their supporting bo'sses. 58 thus" divide ipth'czcam-r shaft galley 54'into a plurality of-oil ireceivingscompa v. ments or pockets. These pockets 60 are interconnected-z longitudinally by: recesses ,62- in: the uppenlaiid done:

.Fatented June a half bearings 56' and 56" of the bearing assemblies. The camshaft 46 is center drilled to provide a lubricant supply galley 64 which is connectable to the pressurized lubricant supply .system .of theengine. A. plurality of radial passages or ports 66 in the camshaft serve to can. tmuously supply lubricatingoil to the journal surfaces .of the several bearings. The ports '66 also sequentially register with radially extending slots '68 which are formed in the lower bearing half 56" and intersect its face mating with the upper bearing half. Slots or grooves 70 extending longitudinally of the mating face of the upper bearing halves cooperate therewithto form jet nozzlesfor sequentially. shooting oil into the several compartments and onto the adjacent cam lobes, The oil thus supplied to the compartments 60 is supplemented. by the drainageof oil supplied to the overhead valve mechanismthrough passage 72.

The exterior side wall of the camshaft galley 54fis perforated adjacent each end of the block-mounted blower '21 to define two oil drain ports 74, only one of which is shown. The ports 74 control the level of oil in the camshaft galley pockets 60 by overflow drainage of oil to the engine crankcase through several compart ments defined by the blower housing, as described in greater detail below. The level of oil maintained in the camshaft galley pockets 60 by the ports 74 is sufficient to permit limited immersion of the cam lobes with subsequent'centrifugal slinging'of oil therefrom to further supplement the oil. jet lubrication and insuring lubrication of the cam following tappets 48 and the cam following rollers 48' rotatably journaled thereby.

The engine-driven blower. 21 is of the Roots type and comprises a housing including an intermediate housing. member 76, two end plate members 78 and two end plate cover. member 80. The intermediate housing member is secured to the side of the engine frame and cooperates with the two end plate members, which are secured to the opposite ends thereof, to define a blower pumping compartment 82. The intermediate blower housing member also defines an air intake port 84 and apressurized outlet port 86 which is connectable to the engine air box. Two helically lobed hollow impcllers 88 and 90 are mounted on two impeller drive shafts 92 and 94, respectively, the ends of which are suitably journaled at 96 and 98 in the blower end plates. The shafts 92 and 94 are rotatably driven. in opposite directions thereby causing the impellers 88 and 90 to. cooperate with each other and the peripheral surface of the blower compartment 82, as defined by the intermediate blower housing member, to pump pressurized air to the blower outlet port 86 and therefrom to the engine air box.

As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, each of the blower end plates is recessed as indicated at 100 to provide a transversely extending web portion. 102 which forms the end wall of the blower pumping compartment 82 having a substantially flat surface thereon in'rotatable air sealing relation to the adjacent end faces of the blower impellers. A peripheral flangeor wall 104 extends longitudinally from the web portion 102, of the end plate member and matesv with a mounting flange 77 on the. adjacent end of the intermediate housing member 76.. Two hubs 106' and 108 also extend longitudinally from the web and are centrally perforated to support bearings 9.6 and 98 which journal the impeller drive shafts 92 and 94. As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, a plurality of ribs 110 extend radially from the two journal supporting hubs to the peripheral wall and a single rib 111 extends radially between these two hubs. The ribs 110 and 111 structurally reinforce the blower chamber end. wall defined by the web 102. Theweb of the end. plate member isperforated to provide a hole 146 at each of its upper corners and a hole 146' at each of itslower Each of the end plate'covcr members 80 is dished or recessed at 112 from a mounting flange 114 which mates with the adjacent end face of the end plate peripheral wall 104 and cooperates with the recess 100 of the end plate member 78 to define an oil receiving gear housing compartment 116 therebetween. The peripheral wall of the end plate member 78- and the mating flanges 77 and 114 of the intermediate and end plate cover housing members 76 and 8t),respectively, are provided with a plurality 1 of axially alignable bolt holes indicated at 118 and 118' in Figures 3 and 4, respectively. These several housing members are also provided with axially alignable bores telescopically mounting colocating assembly pins indicated at 120. The end plate 78 is also provided with.

I symmetrical about a vertical bisecting plane passing there through. The end plates are further substantially symmetrical about a horizontal bisecting plane. This substantial symmetry is duplicated in the mating end faces of the intermediate housing member thus permitting the end plates '78 and the end plate cover members 80 to be used at both ends of the intermediate housing member. The blower housing member 76 is reinforced intermediate its ends by a plurality of transversely extending webs 136 and 138. The end plate mounting flanges and the webs 138 cooperate to provide recesses at 140 and.142

above and below the pressure outlet port86 adjacent each end of the intermediate housing member. These recesses cooperate with the adjacent blower mounting side face of the cylinder block to define oil receiving pockets or compartments 141 and 143, respectively. The

upper pockets 141 are each connected to'thecamshaft galley 54 through the ports 74. The upper pockets are also each connected to the gear housing compartment 116 through a port 144 which extends through the end plate mounting flanges of the intermediate housing member and mates with one of the end plate ports 146. Oil overflowing the camshaft galley thus drains through the compartments 141 and into the oil receiving compartment 116. The alternative end plate port 146 is closed by the mounting flange 77 of the intermediate housing member.

As cast, the radial ribs of the end plates 78 each includes a hollow rivet boss 124. These hollow rivet bosses are used to secure a U-shaped oil dam member 128 to the end plate 78. The oil dam member 128 is of angled cross-section and, in assembly, the hollow rivets 124 extend through mating holes 125 in a transversely extending leg or flange 126 of the oil dam member and are spun down carrying the oil darn flange 126 into sealing abutment with the several adjacent ribs 110. A plural ity of radially extending oil drain passages are thus defined intermediate the flange 126 and the adjacent surface of the end plate web 102. A second flange or leg 130 formed integrally of and extending longitudinally from the flange 1 26 terminates in an end face 132 which is coplanar with the endv face of the end plate peripheral, wall 104. The recess 112 of the cover member 80 is dimensioned so that upon assembly the flange 114 sealinglyabuts the oil dam end face 132. cess 112 of the cover member and the oil dam member 132 thus cooperate to define an oil collecting trough indicated at 134 in Figure 2.

The end plate ports or holes 146 adjacent the engine are each connected through portsv 148 in the end plate mounting flanges 77 to the adjacent oil receiving compartments 143 defined between the intermediate housing recesses 142 and the side face of the block. The com-- partments 143 are in turn connected to the engine crankcase by ports 150 in the crankcase defining side wall off-"the block. In installations where the engine is normally mounted in a vertical position, as shown in Figure 5, with transverse or lateral roll being limited to approximately 25 to 30 from the vertical, the opposite holes 146 distal from the engine side face may besealed by the mounting flanges 77 of the intermediate housing member. This is also true. in inclined engine installations such as shown in Figure 6 wherein the blower 21 is mounted above the engine. In engine installations where the transverse roll of the engine or the operating inclination of the cylinders may be between 25 and 70 from the vertical, the flanges 77 are each provided with a second port 148 in alignment with the opposite ports 146', such aligned ports being tapped to receive a suitable fitting for a conduit 152 which is connectable to the crankcase v12 at a point below the ports 150.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be seen thatthe height of oil collected in the lubricating trough 134 will nor-. mally be limited by the inner. radial dimension of the semicircular bight portion of the U-shapedoil dam member at any inclination of the engine up to and including 70 from the vertical. The low point in the transverse flange of the dam member permits the excess oil to overflow through one or more of the rib-and-dam defined radial passages to the lower of the two end plate ports 146' through which it drains to the crankcase either through the compartment 143 and the port- 150 or through .the conduit 152. It should be noted that the several ports, passages and compartments defining the camshaft galley to the crankcase drainage system also provide a suitable pressure venting passage to or through the crankcase to the atmosphere. 7

Again referring to Figure 2, the ends of the impeller drive shafts 92 and 94 project within the housing compartments 116 at either end of the blower. In the compartment 116 adjacent the rear of the engine, each impeller shaft has a synchronizing timing gear 154 drivingly splined thereon. These gears maintain the necessary and relatively fine clearances between the surfaces of the impellers 88 and 90. A similar driving gear 'or other suitable type of oil slinger is also mounted on the opposite end of the lower shaft 94 within the other compartment '116. The upper gear 154 is drivingly connected through a conventional flexible plate coupling indicated generally at 156 to a quill shaft 158. The shaft 158 extends to the rear of the engine and is driven by a gear indicated diagrammatically at '162 in Figure 5. The gear 162 is driven by the camshaft driving gear 164 which drives the camshaft 46 and mates with a gear 166 driving a balance weight shaft 47. The balance weight shaft 47 is rotatably mounted by bearings 57 in a longitudinally extending galley 55 which is identical to and symmetrical with respect to the camshaft galley 54.

Depending upon the direction of crankshaft rotation, an

idler gear 168 is mounted alternatively, as shown inFi-g; ures 5 and .6, and driven bya crankshaft gear 170'to drivingly engage either the camshaft or balance shaft so as to provide proper pumping rotation of the'blower impellers 88 and 90. r I

The oil level maintained in the collecting troughs 13 4 is sufficient to immerse the teeth of the lower gears 154 or the oil slinging member. Thus,-upon driving rotation of the blower, the teeth of the lower gear elevate a limited quantity of lubricant to the mating driving teeth of the upper gear and also serve to centrifugally splash a portion of the oil to provide an oil spray within the drive housing compartment 116. 7 Any oil slinging member mounted on the opposite end of shaft 94 will serve a similar oil slinging function.

While only one specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for the purposes of illus tration, it will be appreciated that various modifica ions may be made without departing from the spiritand scopeof the'invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim: 7 a a 1. In a blower, the combination including a housing: member having aweb portion defining one end of. a blower compartment, a peripheral wall portion extend ing longitudinally from said web portion andterminating in a transversely extending end face, a journal supporting hub portion extending longitudinally from said web portion and defining a bore through said end plate, and a plurality of ribs extending radially between said hub and wall portions and reinforcing said web portion, a U- shaped oil darn member secured ,tofthe radial'ribs ofv said end plate in spaced relation to the web portion thereof to define a plurality of radial passages therebetween and having a semi-circular bight portion thereof in radiallyspaced concentric relation with respect to the axis of said hub portion, said dam member havingan end face coplanar with the transversely extending end face of said peripheral wall portion, a cover member secured to said end plate member and having an end face thereon mating with and sealingly engageable with the end faces of said end plate and of said oil dam member, said end plate and said cover member defining an oil receiving, drive housing compartment therebetween and said oil dam member and said cover member defining an oil collecting trough therebetween, passage means for continuously supplying lubricant to the upper portion of said drive housing compantment for collection by said trough and passage means in one of said drive housing defining members for draining oil overflowing said trough through said radial pas-- sages, said oil dam maintaining a substantially constantv oil level in said trough to accommodate inclined mount-.

- ing or lateral roll of said blower, an impeller drive shaftjournaled in said hub portion and projecting within said drive housing compartment, a gear drivingly secured on the projecting end of said impeller drive shaft and partial-g. 1y immersible in the oil level collected and maintained by said trough and adapted to elevate and centrifugally splash oil within said drive housing compartment for; lubricating purposes. 7

2. Ida blower, the combination including a housing; member having a web portion defining one end of a blower compartment, a peripheral wall portion extendinglongitudinally from said web portion and terminating in a trans- 5 versely extending end face, atleast one journal support. ing hub portion extending longitudinally from said web portion and defining a bore through said end plate, and

-.a pluralityof ribs extending radially between said hub sages therebetween and a bight portion thereof being in radially spaced concentric relation with respect to the axis of said hub, portion, the longitudinally extending.

, flange of said dam member having an end facecoplanar-l with the transversely extending end face of said peripheral Wall portion, a cover member secured to said end plate memberhaving an end face thereon mating with and sealingly engageable with the end faces of said end plate: and ofsaid oil dam member, said end plate and said cover.

member defining an oil receiving, drive housing compart} ment therebetween and said oil dam'member andjsaidi cover member defining an oil collecting trough therebetween, an impeller drive shaft journaled in said hub..por.-

tion and projecting within said drive housing compare: ment, a gear drivingly secured on the projecting end of; said impeller drive shaft .and partially embraced in spaced. relation thereto by the longitudinally extendingflang e of said-Ioil dam member and the cooperating wall'porti'on of said cover member defining said oil collecting trough, passagemeans for continuously supplying lubricant to the upper portion of said drive housing compartment for collection-bysaid trough and passage means in one of said drive housing compartment defining members for draining oil overfiowingsaid trough through said radial passages to maintain a substantially constant oil level in said trough immersing the teeth of said gear irrespective of limited transverse inclination of said blower.

3. In a Roots type blower, the combination comprising a housing including an intermediate housing member and two interchangeable endplate housing members secured to each end of said intermediate housing member, said housing members defining a blower compartment therebetween, said end housing members each having a web portion defining-one end wall of the blower compartment, a peripheral wall portion extending longitudinally from said web portion and terminating in a transversely extending end face, two journal supporting hub portions extending longitudinally from said web portion in vertically dis-' posed spaced parallel relation to each other, said hub' portions defining axially alignable bores extending through their respective end housing members, and a plurality of ribs extending radially of said web portion between said hub and wall portions and reinforcing the web defined end walls of said blower compartment, two U-shaped-ofl dam members each having two spaced parallel legs interconnected by a semi-circular bight portion, said dam members each being of angled cross-section and having a transversely extending flange and a longitudinal- 13' extending flange, the transversely extending flanges of each-oil dam member being secured to a plurality of said radial ribs in spaced relation to the web portion of' one of said end housing members and defining a plurality of radial passages therewith, the bight portions of said oil dam members being in radially spaced concentric relation with respect to the common axis of the'lower of said hub portions, the longitudinally extending flange of said dam member having an end face coplanar with the transversely extending end face of said peripheral wall portion, a cover member secured to each of said end housing members and having an end face thereon mating with and sealingly engageable with the adjacent end faces of said end housing members andof said oil dam members, said end housing members and said cover members defining oil receiving, drive housing compartments therebetween and said oil dam members and said cover members de fining oil collecting troughs therebetween, impeller shafts journaled in each of said hub portions and projecting within each of said drive housing compartments and drivingly mounting cooperating impellers within said blower-compartment, a gear drivingly secured on the projecting ends of each of the impeller drive shafts projecting within said drive housing compartments, the lower of said gears being partially embraced in spaced relation by the longitudinally extending flange of :th adjacent oil dam member and the cooperating trough defining cover member, means for" continuously supplying lubricant to theupper portionfof said drive housing compartments for collection by said troughs and passage means in said drive housing members for draining oil overflowing said troughs through said radial passages thereby maintaining substantially constant oil levels in said troughs immersing the teeth of the lower of said gears whereby said gears elevate and centrifugally splash a substantiallyconstant quantity of oiltt-o provide necessary lubrication within said drive housing compartments irrespective of limited transverse and longitudinal inclination of said blower.

4. In a rotary blower, the combination comprising a,

longitudinally from said web portion and defining axially alignable bores extending through their respective end housing members, and a plurality of ribs extending radially of said web portion between said hub and wall portions and reinforcing the Web defined end walls of said blower compartment, two U-shaped oil dam members each having two spaced parallel legs interconnected by a semicircular bight portion, said dam members each being secured to a plurality of said radial ribs in spaced relation to the web portion of one of said end housing members and defining a plurality of radial passages therewith, the bight portions of said oil dam members being in radially spaced concentric relation with respect to the common axis of said hub portions, said dam member having an end face coplanar with the transversely extending end face of said peripheral wall portion, and a cover member secured to each of said end housing members and having an end face thereonmating with and sealingly engageable with the adjacant end faces of said end housing members and'of said oil dam members, said end housing members and said cover members defining oil receiving, drive housing compartments therebetween and said oil dam members and said cover members defining oil collecting troughs therebetween, impeller drive means including a gear rotatably mounted within each of said drive housing compartments, said gears being partially embraced in spaced relation by said trough, means for continuously supplying lubricating oil to said drive housing compartments for collection by said troughs and passage means in said housing members for draining oil overflowing said troughs through said radial passages to maintain substantially constant oil levels in said troughs whereby said gears elevate and centrifugally splash a quantity of oil increasing with impeller speed to provide necessary lubrication within said drive housing compartments irrespective of limited transverse and longitudinal inclination of said blower.

5. A gear housing and drive lubricating arrangement comprising two housing members defining a lubricant receiving gear housing compartment therebetween, a first gear rotatably mounted within said compartment, a second gear rotatably mounted and drivingly engaging said first gear within said compartment, an oil dam member secured to one of said housing members and having a semi-circular bight portion in radially spaced relation to the axis of one of said gears, said one housing member having a plurality of ribs radiating from the axis of said one gear and cooperating with said oil darn member to form a plurality of oil drain passages therebetween extending radially from the axis of said one gear, said oil dam member being sealed with respect to the other of said housing members to define an oil collecting trough partially embracing the teeth of said one gear, means for supplying lubricating oil to said compartment above said trough for collection thereby, and passage means for draining oil overflowing said trough through'said radially extending drain passages to maintain a substantially constant oil level Within said trough irrespective of limited transverse and longitudinal inclination of said gear housing whereby the teeth of said one gear elevate and 'centrifugally splash a quantity of oil proportional to the rotational speed of said gears to provide necessary lubrication Within the housing. p

6. A gear housing and drive lubricating arrangement comprising two housing members defining an oil receiving gear housing compartment therebetween, a gear rotatably mounted within said compartment, a U-shaped oil dam member secured to one of said housing members and having a bight portion in radially spaced relation'to a peripheral pontion of said gear, said one housing member having a plurality of ribs radiating from the axis of said gear and cooperating with said oil dam member to provide a plurality of oil drain passages extending radially from the axis of said gear, said oil dam member being sealed with respect to the other of said housing members to define an oil collecting trough of U-shaped configuration, means for supplying lubricating oil flow to said compartment for collection by said trough, and passage means for draining oil overflowing said trough through said radially extending drain passages to maintain a substantially constant oil level within said trough irrespective of limited transverse and longitudinal inclination of said gear housing whereby the teeth of said one gear elevate and centrifugally splash a quantity of oil proportional to the rotational speed of said gears to provide necessary lubrication within the housing.

7. In combination with a two-cycle internal combustion engine including a frame member defining a crankcase and an air receiving chamber and having means for supplying lubricating oil to valve actuating mechanisms, an oil drain galley in said frame member for collecting the oil draining from said valve actuating mechanisms, drainage ports in the side wall of said galley, a blower associated with said engine and adapted to supply pressurized scavenging air charge to the air receiving chamber of the frame member, said blower including an intermediate housing member secured to the side of said frame member adjacent its camshaft galley side, two end plates secured to the opposite longitudinal ends of said intermediate housing member and defining a blower compartment therebetween, and cover members secured to the opposite end faces of the two end plate members and defining oil receiving compartments therewith, said blower end plates journalling opposite impeller shaft ends, a driving gear mounted on one of said shaft ends and an oil slinging member mounted on the other of said shaft ends within said oil receiving compartments, drive means including an engine-driven gear drivingly engaging said first-mentioned gear, a U-shaped oil dam member secured to one of said blower housing members in each of said oil receiving compartments and each of said oil dam members having a bight portion thereof in radially spaced relation to the adjacent periphery of said gear and of said oil slinging member, respectively, said one member having a plurality of recesses opening on each of said oil receiving compartments cooperating with said oil dam member to define a plurality of oil drain passages therebetween extending radially of said shaft axis, said oil dam member being sealed with respect to the other of said end housing members to define an oil collecting trough of U-shaped configuration, said intermediate housing member having recesses therein cooperating with the mounting face of said engine frame member to define upper and lower oil drain pockets, ports connecting said upper pockets to said drain galley through said engine frame ports and to the oil receiving compartments at each end of said blower, and passage means including said lower oil drain pockets connecting the passages defined intermediate said oil dam member and said one member to the crankcase defined by said engine frame member whereby the oil draining through said oil receiving compartments is collected by said trough and maintained at a substantially constant level irrespective of limited transverse and longitudinal inclination of said engine and blower whereby said gear and said oil slinging member elevate and centrifugally splash a quantity of oil proportional to the rotational speed of said impeller shaft to provide necessary lubrication of the blower driving means and of the journals for said impeller shaft.

8. A gear housing and drive lubricating arrangement comprising two housing members defining a lubricant receiving gear housing compartment therebetween, a plurality of gears rotatably mounted within said compartment and drivingly interengaged to define a gear train, at least one oil dam member secured to one of said housing members and having a semi-circular bight portion in radially spaced relation to the axis of one of said gears, said one member having -a plurality of recess defining ribs radiating from the axis of said one gear and cooperating with said oil dam member to form a plurality of oil drain passages therebetween extending radially from the axis of said one gear, said oil dam member being sealed with respect to the other of said housing members and cooperating therewith to define an oil collecting trough partially embracing the teeth of said one gear, means for supplying lubricant oil flow to said compartment for collection by said trough, and passage means for draining oil overflowing said trough through said radially extending drain passages to maintain a substantially constant oil level within said trough irrespective of limited transverse and longitudinal inclination of said gear housing whereby the teeth of said one gear elevate and centrifugally splash a quantity of oil proportional to the rotational speed of said gears to provide necessary lubrication within the housing.

Maybach Aug. 14, 1934 Green Aug. 2, 1955 

